Being overweight can lead to a whole range of health problems. And in general, the more overweight you are, the more serious such problems can become.

Obesity is one of the leading causes of premature death around the world. Research indicates that people who are clinically obese have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of dying prematurely.

However, this is some debate over obesity and premature death. Being overweight is unlikely to kill you. It's the serious health conditions caused by obesity that do the damage. The debate surrounds the issue of whether obesity is the direct cause of these diseases or whether it's merely one of many contributory factors. For example, would an individual have developed diabetes if they weren't obese? It's impossible to say.

Nevertheless, obesity is strongly linked to a series of potentially life threatening diseases. These disease can occur in people who aren't overweight, but obesity does put you at greater risk.

As well as the aforementioned diabetes, obesity can also increase the risk of a variety of heart diseases. Angina, blood clots, and heart attacks can all be contributed to by being overweight.

Other diseases linked to obesity include arthritis, narrowing of the arteries, fatty liver disease, and gallbladder disease. Studies show that being significantly overweight can also increase the risk of developing some types of cancer including colon, kidney, and breast cancer.

Obesity also increases the risk of gallstones, making you three time more likely to develop the condition than someone of normal weight. And finally, being overweight can lead to a range of respiratory problems such as chronic asthma and severe bronchitis.